How To Prevent Yellow Fever

Yellow fever is a viral infection that is passed on to human victims through mosquito bites. Symptoms of yellow fever can be treated but it can’t be cured as of now. However there are some methods you can use to prevent catching yellow fever:

Know facts and helpful information about yellow fever. This can be found in online articles and websites, books in the bookstore or library and pamphlets from your hospital or clinic. You can join groups and forums that discuss disease prevention or you can call up health care providers to ask for tips to avoid yellow fever.

Know the symptoms of yellow fever. This would be fever, chills, headaches, dizziness, back pain, aching muscles, vomiting, weakness and yellowness in the eyes and skin. You will notice these within a week of getting bitten by a mosquito that carry the virus.

Receive a vaccination that is targeted to prevent yellow fever. This will last for up to a decade, and then after that time period, you have to receive booster shots to prolong your protection against yellow fever. Get a certificate of vaccination so that you can enter certain countries where yellow fever is prevalent.

Yellow fever is common in South America‘s tropical regions as well as in Africa‘s Sahara desert. If you are going to these areas, make sure that you are properly informed about yellow fever and that you have taken the necessary precautions to avoid getting the disease.

Request a medical waiver from embassy officials if you or your children are not allowed to receive vaccination. You will not be able to enter Africa and South America if you don’t present a certification of vaccine against yellow fever. It is much better to postpone your trip if you can’t receive the vaccination as of the moment.

Vaccinate your children against yellow fever. Children less than four months old are not permitted to receive the vaccine because their immune systems will not be able to handle it well. If you and your child have to go to areas where there are cases of yellow fever, postpone the trip until your child reaches 9 months of age and is eligible to receive anti-yellow fever vaccination. This is also true when you are expecting a child. Pregnant mothers cannot receive a vaccination because there is a chance that the unborn baby would develop yellow fever from the vaccine. Postpone your vaccination and your trip if you’re pregnant or have a very young child.

Don’t receive anti-yellow fever vaccines if you have AIDS or a weak immune system. You may experience complications and you may also contract yellow fever as a result.

Prevent mosquito bites. Wear insect repellant, long sleeves and adequate clothing to prevent mosquitoes from biting exposed flesh. Make use of mosquito nets and screens to keep mosquitoes from flying into your house, open windows or your tent. Shut all windows and doors and install air conditioning to keep away mosquitoes. You can also install electric mosquito killers or spray insecticide to kill mosquitoes that may be carrying the virus.

Preventing yellow fever includes knowing the facts about the disease and taking appropriate measures. If you plan on going to places where yellow fever is present, prepare yourself in order to protect your health.